I didn't really look too closely at this when it came out, since I'm already a bit over-loaded with synths. But I like how they've implemented granular synthesis. And I just watched your quick walkthrough Guy, and it seems very similar to Serum, in how you program it, which I love.
Do you know if you can layer the granular stuff over the normal oscillator type sounds?

The 1.2.0 update is out now, along with a 20% off sale. Registered users need to go here (I can never find this address - https://register.vps-avenger.com/ ). Download the updated instrument, and the whole 4.7gb content file as there's new content in there too. Import the latter from Avenger by going to the Sys tab, then content.

ghobii wrote:Do you know if you can layer the granular stuff over the normal oscillator type sounds?

Yes, at the top of the osc section are the layers, you can have tons of them, and each one has its own oscillator which can be granular or anything else.

I never really gave Serum its due - I think I perceived it as hard EDM only which is probably unfair.

If you want to try out Serum, you can essentially rent-to-buy it via Splice. So $9.99 for 19 months and it's yours. And if you find out after a month you don't want it after all, it has only cost you $9.99.

Avenger looks rather tasty. I somehow think I should have got that instead of Zebra. Can't really justify buying yet another synth now

I don't think I'll try Serum, just because I've reached critical synth mass. I think Avenger will cover that ground pretty much, and my brain only has a limited amount of synths it can learn I think.

Had a fun quick play this evening with 1.2.0. Granular is fun, and there's some great stuff in the core library to get going with - was especially taken with some orchestral brass. Ended up created a rather nice lead sound predominantely from a solo horn which has a little slur at the very top - slowed down 100x that slur sounds very cool. Granular can so easily make everything sound like the same ol' ambient wash, but I'll hopefully persevere with creating fun stuff with it. Just being able to visually see the waveform, grains and the playback tracking visually makes it more intuitive in use than Omni's granular engine imo, and it sounds great.

A nice update today in 1.2.6. There's a new Comb filter, Favourites in the browser and a fair few other enhancements. There's a rreally useful sound preview now when auditioning oscillators / wavetables etc, makes for quick working.

- added new filter model: "COMB KEY". This one is perfectly tuned (keytrack). Use it on waveforms or attack clicks
- added favourite rating system (star) for presets. You can tag your favourite presets and search for them in the search page
- added new roll/flam modes pattern to drum kit sequencer. Fade ins/outs and many more new rolls!
- added new OSC formant mode "x-fade", very smooth and handy for wavetables where the waveform does not start with a zero-crossing
- added line draw mode for FFT-Harmonic & FFT Bin (use ALT key % mouse click)
- added audio preview for shapes, freeform & wavetables in the OSC sound browser
- added new modsource: osc-pitch-keytrack. Try this on formant/x-cite for example to get smooth transitions when using portamento legato
- added current BPM is shown now in the top bar display
- added more voice-limit intervals
- added more master gain intervals
- added own format for user-skin files, so developers are not forced to release their source-images
- added multisample converter for SFZ files. (WAV and AIF samples are supported) Just rightclick on a sfz file in Avengers' browser and convert
- added the OSC browser sound preview now correctly use the loop points in the sample
- added more modulation display in numeric/text box views. (for example OSC gain, Arp Speed etc...)
- added tool-tip for Granular start/end locators
- fixed a crash on NPOINT envelope if loop-end is too close to its left neighbour
- fixed: "loop enable" button was always "ON" after loading a preset that contains a user-sample
- fixed: WaveTable/Granular Sample overlay logic issue
- fixed: Drum Slot Lock state will be resetted on initialize/preset load
- fixed: Zones Page ModMatrix KEYTRACK Slot label was not visible in other zoom modes than 100%
- fixed: issue with loading "Sustain Release Jump" Envelope mode when loading a preset.
- fixed: issue with "Default Settings" on Mod envelope browser did not load a customized "Default Preset"
- fixed: npoint envelope sustain jump mode could have caused strange behavior on specific circumstances
- fixed: fixed a problem with drum kits and locked slots where the locked samples was replaced on save/reload
- fixed: adjusted size for the "X" on Dial-Mod controller. It was too tiny
- fixed: adjusted font size of i.e. ModEnvelope Trigger Mode context for labels "GLOBAL" & "PER VOICE". These were too tiny
- fixed a issue with sample stacker and exclude start offset for a slot

Now that Avenger is on sale for $176 (Plugin Boutique) I'm interested again. But after looking through the expansion packs (mostly edm and soft pop synth sounds) I don't see many that I would want. Guy, do you still find the sounds usable a year later? I'm thinking of getting this for it's edgier sounds, do you find those useful?

Thanks. I'm thankful to find myself not needing much this holiday, so I'm thinking of those few things I've thought about that rarely go on sale.

fsheinfeld wrote:I LOVE this synth, but I can't run it from VEP (PC vesion). Anybody else having this issue? Works fine if i host it in VEP while using a Mac.

I'll try this tomorrow, never attempted to host it in VEP.

BTW, a new version 1.3.1 of Avenger has just been released which allows for one oscillator to FM modulate another. Some of the early results I've heard are incredible. But there seem to be a few stability issues today, so I'm not updating just yet til it settles down.

Here's a pretty remarkable track using - I believe - just one patch, and this uses the new cross-mod feature. It was created by Patchpool, and will be on a library available in January. https://patchpool.net/avenger_shop.html

...I'm still just holding off updating to make sure that they patched the crash bug, will post here again once I've got word.

So... word on the street is that the latest version that auto-updates via the plugin, 1.3.2, is to be avoided at all costs. The latest version on the registration page from your account is 1.3.1 and that is 99.9% stable except for very rare conditions. They can't now fix 1.3.2 until after the xmas break.

I've just been playing with 1.3.1 and it's been 100% stable for me. The new cross mod thing seems fun.

Here's a little happy accident I found playing around with the cross mod FM. As so often I was playing around with 16th arps. Here's the basic sound - https://app.box.com/s/wh4pt1wgtxi4xxe1eqemoyo4gjl7nwz3 . Pretty bland - just a little movement on the squarewave bandpass with feedback wavetable I used. Then I added just a little cross mod FM, just using a basic sine wave on Osc 2 as the modulation source, but then used LFOs to vary the sine shape on the X axis, and varying the speed of that LFO with another LFO so as to make a lot of smooth randomness. Lo and behold, I was pretty close to the sound of an ARP used on the 1981 Simple Minds Love Song https://app.box.com/s/mmn2lssmod9cm2xpq8ux2n445yzogsa1 .

Not claiming that's super clever or anything, but its a really nice way to add some subtle colour and movement that doesn't sound FMish.

One day I'll splurge on a synth - are you still championing this? I've been liking what I've heard from convo based synths, figure it would be a fresher batch of sounds - almost entirely contrary from analog classics - but this seems like it's a pretty full featured synth.

For some reason Massive never appealed to me - the GUI and layout always felt impenetrable even though clearly its a very capable synth. There's something about Avengers big layout with those modulation drag and drops that totally works for me, along with the nice signal path components etc. It positively invites experimentation, and so is nicely easy to avoid getting in those ruts hopefully. Yeah I know that's rich coming from me who always seems to do analogue 16th arps, but I'm just obsessed there! It's a cinch to call up a dubstep wavetable or get some ambient pad going.

I was playing with Repro 1 the other day which is such a gorgeous synth, but man I find it a pain to program after working with Avenger. Everything feels opaque. OPX-ii has just had a nice graphics update with larger GUIs now available, but it's even worse again to figure out what the hell is going on. Omnisphere is really good, like Avenger its UI is designed for computer working and not a soft emulation of hardware, so I can usually figure stuff out without too much trouble. But for speed, it can't compete to having it all there in front of you as Avenger does.